The Legislative Process

Who can introduce a bill?

Bills may be introduced in the House of Representatives by any Member or non-voting Delegate. In the Senate, bills may be introduced by any Senator. A Representative, Delegate or Senator who introduces a bill is called the primary sponsor of the bill. Other Representatives or Senators who support the bill can sign on as cosponsors.

What happens when it is introduced?

When a bill is introduced on the House or Senate floor, it is given a number. Bills originating in the House have numbers that begin with "H.R." and bills originating in the Senate have numbers that begin with "S." After a bill is introduced, it is referred to the appropriate committee. There are currently 19 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Senate. Each committee is made up of members of the appropriate house and deals with a specific range of issues. Congressman Carney serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Homeland Security.

What happens when a bill goes to a committee?

Once a bill is in committee, several things can happen. The committee could take no action on the bill, thereby preventing it from advancing further. Alternatively, the committee could approve the bill and report favorably on it. A third option is for the committee to amend the bill before reporting favorably on it.

What happens after a bill moves out of a committee? 

A bill that makes it through committee successfully is reported back to the house where it originated, where all members of that house have the opportunity to propose new amendments. Proposed amendments are voted on, followed by the bill itself. If a majority of members approve the final version of the bill, it is sent to the other house, where the entire process is repeated and new amendments can be proposed and adopted.

What happens in the other body?

The final Senate and House versions of a bill are often not identical. When there are differences to be resolved between the two versions, a conference committee is convened. Members of the House and Senate meet to discuss the bill and decide on a final version. This final version of the bill is called the conference report. If both houses approve the conference report, the final bill is sent to the President of the United States for his signature or veto.

What can the President do?

If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If, however, the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the legislative branch. Both houses of Congress can attempt to override the President's veto by passing the bill one final time; this time with two-thirds majority instead of a simple majority. If this vote succeeds, the bill becomes law despite the President's veto.

What other actions can Congress take?

In addition to bills, there are several other types of Congressional action. House and Senate resolutions, whose numbers begin with "H. Res" or "S. Res," are passed by only one house of Congress (without Presidential approval) and do not carry the full force of law. Instead, they express the opinion of the House or Senate. Concurrent resolutions (numbers begin with "H. Con Res" or "S. Con Res") are similar, except that they are passed by both houses.

Where can I learn more?

For more information about the legislative process, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html

For a glossary of important terms, click here.